Guilderland Library Notes for Tuesday, December 1, 2020

The interior of the Guilderland Public Library looks very different these days from what you may remember. To the left of our main circulation desk, a temporary wall now separates the construction area, where the children and teen areas will be built, from the relocated collection to the left of it.

Here, the DVDs still stand — one of the few parts of our collection that have not moved — plus youth and young adult fiction and non-fiction materials, for now.

Most of our collection is still accessible; however, if something you would like to borrow is not, we will gladly request it from another local library. Usable space throughout the library has shrunk significantly, making it challenging for staff and the construction crew to maintain adequate social distancing.

Due to these constraints, we must hold off on safely reopening to public browsing. We are aiming for mid-January at this point, and will continue to keep you posted.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we strive to safely manage the rapidly-changing logistics involved with both the pandemic and the construction project. Updates are posted on https://bit.ly/GPLbuildingproject, Facebook and Instagram. To subscribe to our weekly eNews and monthly newsletters, go to https://bit.ly/GPLeNews.

Curbside and

online resources

GPL continues to serve patrons through curbside services and online resources.  

Our curbside checkout hours are: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday from 1 to 7 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. 2 p.m. Our return shed hours are: Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. All materials are quarantined for six days, including exterior sanitizing, prior to re-shelving. Though fines are still waived, we appreciate the timely return of materials for the next borrower. Please note that it may take a full week or more for your returned item(s) to be reflected on your account.

“American Dirt”

The next installment of our Night Owls virtual book group is scheduled for Monday Dec. 14 at 7:30 p.m.  “American Dirt,” the buzz-worthy bestseller by Jeanine Cummins about a Mexican woman forced to flee to the United States with her son as undocumented immigrants, will be discussed.

Please register on the Events tab of our website, where you will find further instructions.  For assistance placing a hold for curbside pickup, call us at 518-285-0050 or email us at .

Multilingual community

At last count, there are at least 59 languages spoken throughout the Guilderland area. Some of the most prevalent are Mandarin, Telugu, Hindi, Spanish and Tamil. One of the learning tools on our website is Pronunciator, a fun and interactive way to learn any of 163 languages with personalized courses, movies, music and more.

There’s also a new COVID-19 course in 101 languages.  See https://guilderlandlibrary.org/learning-tools to explore all the options.

Dial-A-Story

With all the screen time we subject ourselves to these days, listening to a short story provides a welcome break to rest our eyes while igniting our imagination. Each week, our Dial-A-Story features three new tales – one for adults, one for children, and a new international language option too!  Simply dial 518-519-4111 and make a selection to hear an engaging story anytime. 

Wi-Fi Boosted

The WiFi available at our parking lot has been strengthened.  It now extends from the building almost to Western Avenue.  Feel free to access it at any time, 24/7.

Amazon Smile

During this holiday season, online shopping will be the preferred method for many. Have you designated a charity on Amazon? You can support Guilderland Public Library while shopping – win-win!  Simply go to https://smile.amazon.com and search for “Guilderland Library Foundation Inc.,” then click on “start shopping.” AmazonSmile will donate one-half percent of all eligible purchases to us. Thank you for your support!